采访档案 | Sean Woolsey
美国南加州 | 艺术家、家具设计师、工匠
来自加利福尼亚的肖恩·伍尔西设计的作品激发了我们的兴趣，他制作的家具和游戏桌（推圆盘游戏桌和乒乓球桌）都是手工制作，而且受到日本侘寂美学（侘寂是日本美学意识的一个组成部分，一般指的是朴素又安静的事物。）的影响。他的工作室成立于2011年，其产品组合不断发展，其设计重点是手工制作，经久耐用。在本期采访中，我们前往加利福尼亚州阳光明媚的科斯塔梅萨，来到肖恩的工作室，探索这个新空间，看看他的工作是如何运行的。
The work of California-born Sean Woolsey has piqued our interest for a few years now with his impeccably crafted furniture and gaming tables (shuffleboard and ping pong) that are handmade and guided by the Japanese philosophy of Wabi-Sabi. Founded in 2011, the studio’s portfolio continues to grow with design-focused pieces that are handcrafted and built to last for generations to come. For this month’s Where I Work, we head to sunny Costa Mesa, California to the Sean Woolsey Studio to explore the relatively new space and to see how things work.
首先，你的典型工作风格是怎样的呢？
First of all, What is your typical work style?
自从有了小孩，我就有了一个相当有条不紊的工作时间表，周一至周五每天朝九晚六，包括午餐时间。有时午餐后也锻炼。我过去常常工作到深夜，周末也是如此，但现在休息时间与工作时间平衡了很多。拥有更多的正常工作时间是很好的，可以使我生活过得有条理。一般在早上，我完成我所有的电脑工作，然后吃午饭，在下午设计模型，然后晚上在家做更多的电脑工作。
Ever since having a kid, I have had a pretty regimented M-F work schedule of 9-6 with lunch in there somewhere. Sometimes a workout at lunch, too. I used to work super late into the night, and on the weekends, but am more balanced now. Having more normal hours has been good, and pushed me into a consistency. Usually, in the morning I hammer out all my computer work, then have lunch and try and design/prototype in the afternoons, and then more computer work at home for a bit in the evening.
你的工作室环境怎么样？
What’s your studio/work environment like?
我喜欢非常干净和有条理的工作环境，它可以让我的思维更有条理，做事更有效率。在工作室，每样东西都有一个可以放置的地方。我们工作室的自然采光很棒，这边天气也很棒。我们离海滩大约一英里，所以冲浪是优先考虑的。我喜欢在有趣的工作氛围中工作，可以让我每天都充满活力。
I like to have a pretty clean and structured place, it keeps my mind more organized and efficient. There is a place for everything. The natural lighting in our studio is great and the weather is awesome. We are about a mile from the beach, so surfing frequently is a priority. I like to have a fun atmosphere to work in, somewhere that I am pumped to go in every day.
你的空间区域是如何安排的？
How is your space organized/arranged?
我们的工作室分成几个不同的区域——在前面有一个展示室，后面有两个办公室和木屋。我把一间办公室租给一位珠宝设计师。我有一个大办公室，可以进入展示室，又可以进入木工车间。最初，我的办公室是由两间办公室组成，在建造期间，我们炸掉了中间的墙，在展示室中增加了一个大窗户和一扇玻璃滑动门。
Our studio is broken up into a few different zones – we have a showroom in the front, two offices and our woodshop in the back. One office I rent out to a jewelry designer/maker. I have a large office that looks both into the showroom and into the woodshop. Originally, my office was two offices, and during construction, we blew out the center wall and added a large window and glass sliding door into the showroom.
我有一张桌子(用于所有模型尺寸的核对)和一张绘图桌(仅用于模拟绘图、草图和设计)。在我的办公室里，有几把椅子，一张睡床和一个书架，书架上摆满了各种书籍、杂志、样品、织物和木材样品等等。我的桌子后面有一个很大的磁性白板，那是我的灵感板。我重新设计了一张旧帆来覆盖天花板，并在上面留了几句名言。
I have a desk (used for all things digital), and a drafting table (reserved for only analog drawings, sketches, and designing). Also in my office, there are a couple of our chairs, a daybed (for naps) and a bookshelf filled with all kinds of books, magazines, samples, fabric and wood samples, etc. Also, I have a large magnetic whiteboard behind my desk that is my inspiration board. I repurposed an old sail to cover the ceiling and painted on some quotes.
你在这里工作了多久？在那之前你在哪里工作？
How long have you been in this space? Where did you work before that?
我们在2017年10月搬进了这个地方，我们在街对面一家只有工作室一半大小的商店里待了将近6年。我们把所有的重型工具都推到街对面，这是迄今为止最容易的行动。这个空间的建造花了大约一个月的时间。这个新空间在科斯塔梅萨有一段很酷的历史。几年前，整栋楼都是搞现代娱乐工作的(我曾经做过服装品牌工作这个自由职业)，然后是在艺术家安迪•戴维斯的艺术工作室工作，最后几年是在一个朋友的广告公司。我一直很喜欢这栋楼，并告诉他，如果让我知道他想搬出去，我就抓住这个机会到这里工作。
We moved into this space Oct. of 2017 and we were directly across the street for almost 6 years in a shop half the size. It was the easiest move ever, we literally pushed all our heavy tools across the street. Construction in the space took about a month. This new space has a cool history in Costa Mesa. Years ago, the whole building housed Modern Amusement (a clothing brand that I once freelanced for), then there was surfer/artist Andy Davis’ art studio and then for the last few years a friend’s ad agency. I had always loved the building and told him that if he ever wanted to move out to let me know, so we jumped at the chance to take over the space.
你如何记录想法?
How do you record ideas?
是的，我最近买了一个Rocketbook笔记本（一种智能笔记本），我很喜欢它。现在整个团队都有了，这很可能是我买的最后一本。我喜欢在纸上写字的感觉，喜欢所有东西都可以擦除的感觉，喜欢用他们的应用程序存储页面的数字文件的感觉。
Yes, I recently bought a Rocketbook Notebook and am obsessed. Now the whole team has them, and it will most likely be the last notebook I ever buy. I love how it feels to write on the paper, that everything is erasable, and how you can use their app to store a digital file of the pages.
你有灵感板吗？现在上面有什么？
Do you have an inspiration board? What’s on it right now?
有的，上面是我们正在制作的产品图片。
Yes, many inspirations, quotes, images and products that we have in the works.
你的创作过程和创作流程是什么样的？它是否改变了每一个项目，还是保持不变？
What is your creative process and/or creative workflow like? Does it change every project or do you keep it the same?
一般开始是先从我的笔记本上快速的画出我的想法。然后挑选我最喜欢的造型，并找出设计得不够精致的细节。然后我会在纸上画出完整的尺寸，并在需要时修改。下一步是用廉价木材建造一个全尺寸的模型。然后在修改一下。最后，我们在最终决定的材料中进行完整设计，再进行摄影，并推出产品。在有些时候，我们也会制作一个Sketchup模型。
It usually starts by drawing quick ideas in my notebook. Then picking what I like best, and figuring out the rough details of the design. Then I move to full scale on paper and will revise when needed. Next is to build a full-size prototype in cheap wood. Then rework the kinks. Lastly, we build the design in the final material, do a photoshoot, and launch the product. At some point, in there we also make a Sketchup model.
什么样的艺术/设计/物品可能散落在空间里？
What kind of art/design/objects might you have scattered about the space?
在展示室里，有我们的作品，还有我的一些艺术品。在木作坊里，几乎所有地方都有工具，但都摆放得没有条理。
In the showroom, obviously our pieces, and some of my art. In the woodshop, mostly tools everywhere, but in semi-organized sort of way, haha.
你的空间里有工具和机器吗？
Are there tools and/or machinery in your space?
嗯，有很多。典型的木工工具，如木工刨床、台锯、台锯工作台、手工工具、钻床、等。我最喜欢的是两台1940年代的钻床，是我妻子爷爷的，然后传到我手里。
Yes, lots. Typical woodworking tools like a bandsaw, jointer/planer, table saw, routers, router table, workbenches, hand tools, drill press, table saw etc. A couple of my favorites are the 1940’s drill press from my wife’s grandpa and my hand tools.
在设计过程中你最喜欢使用什么工具？
What tool(s) do you most enjoy using in the design process?
我很喜欢自动铅笔，并收藏了很多。对于设计，我喜欢使用我的Rocketbook, Sketchup，最重要的是可以在店里自己亲自动手设计。
I am obsessed and have quite a collection of mechanical pencils. As for designing, I enjoy using my Rocketbook, Sketchup and most of all being in the shop getting my hands dirty.
让我们谈谈你有哪些技术装备，还有你是如何使用它们的？
Let’s talk about how you’re wired. Tell us about your tech arsenal/devices.
有苹果笔记本和一台iPhone。还有我们店里做的一套以MasterDynamic耳机设备为主的扬声器。
MacBook Pro and monitor plus an iPhone. And a good set of speakers that we made in the shop. MasterDynamic headphones for full focus.
你使用什么设计软件？
What design software do you use, if any, and for what?
Sketchup, Adobe Suite，和Ommwriter。
Sketchup, Adobe Suite, and Ommwriter
你桌子上现在有什么？
What’s on your desk right now?
笔记本电脑，扬声器，铅笔，水，笔记本电脑，手机。
Laptop, speakers, pencils, water, notebook, phone.
你有最喜欢的项目或作品吗?
Is there a favorite project/piece you’ve worked on?
我通常更喜欢过程而不是结果。这在某种意义上是好事，因为我一直在寻找下一个挑战。然而，我却很容易感到无聊，厌倦了一遍又一遍地做同样的事情。我最近最喜欢的一件作品是我们的台球桌，它是花很多时间设计出来的。几年前，当我第一次接触木工时，我还做了一把圆锥形的椅子(由George Nakashima设计)，我真的很喜欢这把椅子，因为它代表了我制作过程中的很多东西，教会了我很多关于木工的知识。它作为一个项目，在设计和建造我们的新空间时真的很有趣。我们在一个月内就完成了，这简直是很不可思议，所有的事情都是我们自己做的。我喜欢和空间打交道，决定如何使用它，决定如何让它变得有趣，并使其功能最大化。
Hmmm. I usually enjoy the process more than the outcome. Which in a sense is good, because I am always looking for the next challenge. However, I get bored easily and tired of making the same thing over and over. My favorite piece recently would be our pool table, which took a lot of head-scratching and engineering. I also made a Conoid chair (designed by George Nakashima) when I first got into woodworking years ago, and really like that piece, as it represents a lot in my journey. That was the piece that taught me the most about woodworking. As a project, designing and building out our new space has been really fun. We did it in a month which was nuts, and we did everything ourselves. I love to work with space and decide how it should be used, how to make it fun to work in, and maximize its functionality.
你觉得自己成功了吗？是什么让你觉得自己已经成功了？是在什么时刻/环境下？或者需要做什么才能到达那种成就？
Do you feel like you’ve made it? What has made you feel like you’ve become successful? At what moment/circumstances? Or what will it take to get there?
只有告诉自己你是成功的，你才算成功。我喜欢向成功迈进，不想半途而废。安逸是伟大的敌人。我喜欢挑战失败，努力工作，永不厌倦。我试着庆祝生活中的小胜利，每天的成功都让我的心情更加开朗。
You are only as successful as you tell yourself you are. I like to ride the fence of success, halfway there and halfway not. Comfort is the enemy of greatness. I like the challenge of being the underdog, and working hard to get there, and never being bored. I do try and celebrate the small victories of life, the everyday successes as that brightens my mood and the atmosphere in general.
告诉我们你正在做的一个项目吧。它背后的灵感是什么？
Tell us about a current project you’re working on. What was the inspiration behind it?
我们下一步要设计的是在一个适用于在小空间的落叶式餐桌。它很容易装运，也可以放在一个小空间，当有两个以上的人用餐时，它可以活动转换大小。几个月前，我在Craigslist上买了一辆古董车，我喜欢它的可塑性，我相信我们能做出一辆许多人都会喜欢的新车。
We are next working on a drop leaf dining table for small spaces. It will be easy to ship, and easy to have in a small space, yet easily convert when there are more than two of you at the table. I bought a vintage one a few months ago on Craigslist and I love the adaptability of it and am confident that we can make a fresh one that many people will enjoy.
你家里有什么东西是你设计的吗？
Do you have anything in your home that you’ve designed/created?
目前不多。我们有一张餐桌，但我把它送给了一个朋友。我为我们的房子做了很多定制的东西（比如酒吧、架子和一个放在洗碗机上的胡桃木大台面）。橱柜是我在一年前制作的。
Not much at the moment. We had a dining table, but I gave it to a friend. I did a lot of custom pieces for our house (like a bar, shelving, and a large walnut countertop that goes over our dishwasher). And I made our credenza as a one-off years ago.
版权归属
Interview © designmilk
Photos © Lonnie Webb & Scott Snyder
